The Child
by Luna x3
Summary: Hyrule never forgot their Hero of Time, who saved them from darkness so many years ago. But now their Hero is gone, and history is destined to repeat itself. Only this time, it is this Hero's child that will save the day.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

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She sat woefully at her place in the Sacred Realm, her newborn baby sleeping in her arms. A tear fell from the corner of her eye, landing with a silent splash onto the child's cheek.

Of course, the Sages had told her it must happen. It _had_ to happen, because a baby cannot grow up among such creatures, in such a place.

She had pleaded; she had resorted to kneeling on the ground, hands clamped together, tears pouring like rain from her eyes. The child has a destiny that she will need us for, she had said. Who will tell her who she is? What she will become?

And still they had said no. They had told her it was important that the child live a normal as possible life, until she was needed.

And so tonight would be the last night with her baby, and she would grow up another woman's child.

How foolish was she, to have gotten pregnant. She was a sage; sages could not act in such behavior. The others had been kinder to her than she was on herself; afterall, a child of such means was destined to be born sometime or another by the fates.

She pressed her lips onto the baby's forehead, letting them rest there for a while. She closed her eyes, cherising this moment, so that she would remember it forever.

"Tali," she whispered into the child's ear, and the child smiled in her sleep.

-

Hannah was a woman of simple pleasures.

She enjoyed warming her feet by the fire, sipping steaming tea and losing herself to her memories. She enjoyed going for walks along the river behind her hut. She enjoyed warming her face in the sun after a particulary long winter.

But although these little things made Hannah happy, there was one thing that she longed for, more than anything else in the world.

This dear dream of hers was to have a child.

Each night she would sit on the edge of her bed, closing her eyes and lifting her hands in prayer; _Goddesses, bless me with a child of my own_

And though her prayers were never answered, she continued to pray every night, even when her hair began to turn gray, and wrinkles formed around her eyes.

It was a night like any other that it happened; Hannah, tired and weary, stepped out of her house to catch some fresh air. A basket sat lonely on her walkway, and when peering inside, she found the child. A tiny baby girl, with raven black hair and emerald green eyes. There was no note, no markings of any sort of recognition.

It was hers; it was the child she had prayed for every night of her lonely life. 

Without knowing why, she smiled at the child's face, and a wind called to her, whispering only one word.

She held the bundle close to her breast, and thanked the goddesses for the gift she had been given.

"Tali."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

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_Dear Diary,  
Today was my Tali's first birthday; or rather, the first anniversary of the day the goddesses gave her to me._

Hannah placed her quill down onto the table, taking a moment to appreciate her daughter's smile; a smile that she was thankful for every day.

_I look at her now, and I wonder how her parents ever could have given her up. She is so precious, and I am truly blessed._

Tali yawned, her head drooping into the small cake Hannah had prepared in celebration. 

"Sweetie, would you like a nap?"

Tali sucked on her fingers, her eyes wide.

Hannah laughed, scooping her up and carrying her to her crib.

"Sleep tight, my angel. I love you."

She kissed her on her forehead, tucking her blanket under her chin, and smiled once more before leaving her.

_My only regret is that she cannot live a richer life; my Tali deserves royalty, and she has to live in my poor tired hut._

"So you are her mother,"

Hannah jumped, her bottle of link falling onto the floor, soaking into the wood.

A woman stood in front of her, having appeared from nowhere.

"Who are you?"

The woman smiled, walking straight past her.

"Is this Tali's room? It must be. Is that my Tali?"

Hannah's old heart pounded in her chest. A kidnapper?

"Sweet child, how I've missed you."

"Get your hands off my daughter."

Hannah's voice came out sharp and cold, and it was returned with a soft laugh.

"Oh, dear, she is beautiful. So much like her father."

Hannah calmed, but only slightly. 

"You are...her mother."

For some reason, that fit.

"Yes."

The woman sighed.

"I am rude, and I apologize. I was just so caught up in seeing her again…"

She sighed again, and placed her daughter back down in her crib, before giving her a gentle squeeze.

"I have come here to tell you about Tali."

"About why you gave her up?"

The woman sat down, and reluctantly, Hannah followed.

"It was more complicated than that. Let me start with who I am."

She paused.

"You know of the Legend of the Hero of Time, yes?"

Hannah nodded. Everyone knew the Legend; it was still talked about, even years later.

"Princess Zelda, from the Legend, became the seventh sage…"

"Yes, yes, I know all of it."

"And she waited for years for her love, the Hero, to return to her, so that they may rest in the Sacred Realm for eternity…

When the Hero's spirit finally joined with hers, the two became…reckless, you might say. And Zelda…even though it was techincally forbidden…became pregnant with the Hero's child."

She inhaled deeply.

"I am Zelda, and Tali is our child."

Hannah eyed the woman for a moment, before laughing.

"The sage from the Legend, sitting in my home…the Hero's daughter, asleep in my house…I am sorry, M'am, but I fine that hard to believe."

The woman smiled an empty smile.

"Believe it or not, it is true. Tali is a very special child, Hannah. She holds inside of her, the Triforce. She was given the Triforce of Wisdom, from myself, and the Triforce of Courage, from her father…and inexplicably, the Triforce of Power…

She is the key to our future."

Hannah wanted to laugh again, but the woman's face was so serious, that the sound died in her throat.

"She has a destiny greater than you can ever imagine."

"Then why was she given to a poor, batty old woman?"

The woman smiled.

"Because batty or not, you have a good heart, and my daughter needed a good home, with love that I know you can give her."

Hannah smiled, despite her urge to disregard everything she was saying.

"Our future is filled with a darkness. Demons from my past are returning, and the only one who can stop them is the one foreseen by the Fates…"

"…Tali."

Hannah believed her now, as much as she wished it wasn't true.

"You are taking Tali away from me now?"

Zelda smiled.

"I never said that, did I?

I will need her to stay with you until it happens."

"Until what happens, exactly?"

"There will be a time when her powers will come, and she will become what she is to be."

"What will she be?"

"I will leave you now, but I will be back often."

Zelda stood up, and once more leaned down and kissed her daughter on the cheek.

Hannah grabbed Zelda's arm, staring into her eyes anxiously.

"What will she become?"

"You will see."

Zelda offered her a kind smile, before disappearing into a flash of blue light.

And on the baby slept, whose destiny was larger than the world should know. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

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_Dear Diary,  
Everyday I am in fear, wondering when it will happen; when my Tali will have to fulfill her destiny. She is of seven years old now, and with each day I find myself becoming more and more attached to her; and with each day I find myself crying over the day that I will lose her._

_Sometimes I am hopeful. Sometimes I imagine that all of what Zelda has told me is a lie, and that Tali's life is destined for sweet simplicity._

She even is beginning to look like her parents; her hair has faded from that deep ebony into something more of a deep gold, and her eyes are more blue then green.

_Sometimes I see her staring off into the distance, with her head tilted to the sky, and I can swear that she looks as if she belongs in another time, in another place.  
_

_I only pray now that the day will never come._

"Mama, I don't feel good."

Hannah closed her diary, placing her quill carefully on the table before turning to Tali. 

"My head hurts _really _really bad."

Hannah placed her hands on Tali's cheeks, looking into her eyes.

"Are you sick?"

Tali shrugged, yawning.

"I'll set you down for a nap, if you'd like."

"Mama, I'm _too_ old for naps. I'm not a baby anymore."

"Then you can just rest with your eyes open."

She scooped her up and carried her into her room, setting her down on her bed. She kissed her on the cheek.

"All right, my love?"

"Yes Mama."

In a matter of minutes she was asleep. Hannah chuckled to herself, and left the room to return to her diary. She had more and more to write about everyday.

But Zelda was already sitting in her armchair, skimming through its contents.

"Ah, Hannah."

She closed the book, and stood up to make her greetings. It wasn't unusual to see Zelda every now and then. She often came to check on Tali, or to fill Hannah in on what was going on with her destiny.

"How is my baby?"

This irked Hannah, but all the same she offered a smile.

"She is resting."

"May I see her?"

She started to nod, but stopped.

"Actually, she is sick, and has only just fallen asleep, and I wouldn't like to wake her…"

Zelda did not bother to hide the disappointment on her face.

"Ah, I see."

She sat back down, resting her face in the palm of her hand.

"I know that Tali is only seven, but I feel the time has come to let her know about her fate."

Hannah felt her heart stop.

"Is it…is she…"

She took a deep breath.

"Is it time for her to leave me already?"

Zelda paused for a moment.

"Not…yet. But the situation is worsening…and it will happen soon. I just would rather have her prepared."

Hannah didn't respond. Knowing her fate would also mean learning about her true identity…it would mean Tali having to learn that she wasn't her real daughter.

Zelda frowned in uncertainty.

"Is everything allright?"

Hannah didn't like Zelda. She didn't like the fact that she was living a life of luxury. She didn't like that she was the mother of Tali. She didn't like that she was sitting in her home.

And so she smiled a false smile, nodding her head. Tali didn't have to know, did she? If Tali never knew who she was, perhaps Hannah could keep her from her destiny.

"Everything is fine."

Tali would never leave her now. She would make sure of it..

"And everything will be fine from now on."

Zelda smiled, genuinely happy.

"Thank you Hannah. You do not know how deep I appreciate this…I will never be able to express my gratitude enough, to show you how much it means to me that you have been taking care of her."

Hannah smiled, ignoring the twist of her heart. Tali would be hers…forever. 


End file.
